GOoD Life Pre-Cepts
By: KeviJ
Outside my house sits a pair of plants that couldn’t be more different: a juniper shrub and a flowering lilac tree.
-The juniper – a spreading, low-growing, prickly, and thorny plant, and trimming it requires thick gloves and tall boots.
-The Lilac – A tall, elegant, and fragrant small tree. Drawing neighbors (and bees) to itself with its sweet purpose blooms.
This plant and beautiful small tree share the same soil, sunlight, and rain; however, their nature determines what they produce. One, defensive and harsh, the other gracious and attractive.
Both bloom and require occasional trimming; the only difference is what they produce.
Jesus said it this way: “Each tree is recognized by its fruit.” The visible fruit of our lives exposes the invisible nature of our hearts. If anybody reading this knows how to care for flowerbeds, by all means, I welcome you!
This is an invitation to perform our own heart checks. “Can a good tree produce bad fruit?” We won’t generally rise above our habitual routines and thought patterns, which we cultivate daily, for they nourish or poison our hearts. Jesus begins with this invitation to look at the agriculture of our heart. If the things we consume consistently are “unhealthy,” it can show up externally just as visibly as when I go off my healthy eating and exercise routine. I love watching My 600-lb Life because Dr. Now often tells his patients, “The scale doesn’t lie.” So it is with our lives overall. Our attitude, words, and reactions tell the story of who we are at our core.
We can all appear published and published in public view, but eventually, those closest to us will see what is in our hearts. Appearance and even positions don’t matter; what a person regularly and consistently produces is an outward sign of what’s happening in their inner life. The end of that matter is in my flowerbed, with all the nourishment from the sun, rain, and cultivation, the only thing the thorny juniper plant can produce is its prickly leaves. It will not produce lilacs, grapes, or figs; even its makeup is entirely wrong for what it’s not made to grow. Remember, your words, tone, and treatment of others are all fruit.
Finally, and I love this part most. You and I can change. The Bible speaks of this idea of a leopard changing its spots (Jer 13:23). Although it appears impossible to man, it is possible with God (Luke 18:27) we can change and produce good fruit, even if we formerly produced fruit that we’re ashamed of. Our hearts determine this; we have the ability to make our fruit good or bad, we do have a choice. Jesus is the only one who can change our hearts from the inside out. We must live in humble submission to Him consistently, trusting, leaning on, and surrendering to Him often. Whatever fills your heart eventually spills over into your life. The only way to change what’s spilling over into your life is to change what you’re consistently putting into your mind. Your thoughts will have to be mastered, as the old man is replaced with the new creation you become when you accept Christ in your heart.
| Biblical Practice | What It Does | Key Verse |
|---|
| Confession & Repentance | Uproots toxic roots (pride, bitterness). | 1 John 1:9 |
| Daily Scripture Intake | Plants truth; renews the mind. | Psalm 1:2‑3 |
| Prayer & Surrender | Keeps soil soft and teachable. | Phil 4:6‑7 |
| Holy Spirit Dependence | Produces Christ‑like fruit, not self‑effort. | Gal 5:22‑25 |
| Accountable Community | Provides pruning, encouragement, perspective. | Heb 10:24‑25 |
Points to Ponder and Questions to Consider:
Please take a brief but thorough evaluation of your life and ask What fruit am I cultivating and producing that reveals what’s in my heart?
You don’t need a botanist, but you can also ask friends, “What does it look like being on the other side of me?”
If you find you’re sharp and thorny, but you want to be beautiful and fragrant, there’s hope for you yet. You have the authority to change your outcome. Start today, by kneeling in prayer asking God to grant grace to make necessarily transition in your heart as you completely surrender in a desire to experience the GOoDLife He designed for you!
Scripture References
Matthew 7:16 & Lk 6:42-45
